WCAG 2.2 AA — The UK Accessibility Standard Explained 2026

„What is WCAG 2.2 AA and why does it matter for my UK website?" That's a question many UK business owners and public sector organisations are asking.

In this guide, we'll explain what WCAG 2.2 AA is, the new success criteria in WCAG 2.2, and how to comply with UK accessibility requirements.

What is WCAG?

WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is an international standard developed by the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium). The guidelines are designed to make web content accessible to people with disabilities.

WCAG has three levels of accessibility:

• Level A — The minimum requirements (least strict)
• Level AA — The standard requirements (required by UK law)
• Level AAA — The most strict requirements (difficult to achieve)

What's new in WCAG 2.2?

WCAG 2.2 was published in October 2023 and added 9 new success criteria to the standard. These new criteria focus on:

1. Mobile Accessibility

Three new criteria address mobile-specific accessibility issues:

• 2.5.7 Dragging Movements — All operations that use dragging can be performed with a single pointer without dragging
• 2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum) — Pointer targets must be at least 24x24 CSS pixels (or have sufficient spacing)
• 2.5.3 Label in Name — The accessible name must contain the visible text label

2. Cognitive Accessibility

Three new criteria address cognitive accessibility:

• 3.2.6 Consistent Help — Help mechanisms must appear in the same place on every page
• 3.3.7 Redundant Entry — Information previously entered should be auto-populated
• 3.3.8 Accessible Authentication — Authentication processes should not require cognitive function tests (like remembering passwords or solving puzzles)

3. User Privacy

One new criterion addresses user privacy:

• 2.2.2 Page with Data Loss — Users must be warned before losing unsaved data

4. Focus and Navigation

Two new criteria address focus and navigation:

• 2.4.11 Focus Not Obscured (Minimum) — Focus indicators must not be fully hidden
• 2.4.12 Focus Not Obscured (Enhanced) — Focus indicators must be visible even when the user scrolls

5. Error Prevention

One new criterion addresses error prevention:

• 3.3.9 Redundant Entry — Information previously entered should be auto-populated

WCAG 2.2 vs WCAG 2.1 — What's the difference?

Why does UK use WCAG 2.2 AA?

The UK uses WCAG 2.2 Level AA for several reasons:

1. Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) recommendation

The EHRC recommends WCAG 2.2 Level AA as the standard for UK websites. While not statutory, this is the recognised best practice.

2. Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations 2018

The PSBAR 2018 requires public sector websites to meet WCAG 2.2 Level AA. This is a legal requirement for public sector bodies.

3. Keeping up with international standards

WCAG 2.2 is the latest version of the international standard. Using it ensures compatibility with the latest assistive technologies.

How to comply with WCAG 2.2 AA?

Step 1: Understand the four principles

WCAG is based on four principles. A website is only accessible if it meets all four principles:

1. Perceivable — Can users perceive the content?

Information and user interface components must be presentable to users in ways they can perceive.

• 1.1.1 — Non-text Content: All images must have alternative text
• 1.4.3 — Contrast (Minimum): Text contrast must be at least 4.5:1
• 1.2.2 — Captions (Prerecorded): All video must have captions

2. Operable — Can users operate the content?

User interface components and navigation must be operable.

• 2.1.1 — Keyboard: All functionality must be operable with a keyboard
• 2.4.7 — Focus Visible: Focus indicators must be visible
• 2.5.8 — Target Size (Minimum): Touch targets must be at least 24x24 CSS px

3. Understandable — Can users understand the content?

Information and the operation of user interface must be understandable.

• 3.3.2 — Labels or Instructions: All form fields must have labels
• 3.3.1 — Error Identification: Error messages must be clear
• 3.2.6 — Consistent Help: Help mechanisms must be consistent

4. Robust — Is the content compatible with assistive technologies?

Content must be robust enough to be interpreted by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies.

• 4.1.2 — Name, Role, Value: ARIA attributes must be correct
• 4.1.1 — Parsing: HTML must be valid

Step 2: Use an accessibility checker

Use the free UK ADA checker to scan your website against WCAG 2.2 Level AA. You'll get a report within 60 seconds with violations, warnings, and solutions.

Step 3: Fix all violations

Follow the recommendations in the report to fix all violations.

Step 4: Publish an accessibility statement

Publish an accessibility statement on your website explaining how accessible your website is and how users can report problems.

Step 5: Monitor and update

Monitor your website regularly and update your accessibility statement at least once a year.

WCAG 2.2 AA vs EN 301 549 — What's the difference?

The EN 301 549 is the European standard for ICT accessibility. It is based on WCAG 2.1 Level AA and is the standard required by the EAA (European Accessibility Act).

Key difference: WCAG 2.2 AA includes 9 additional success criteria not found in EN 301 549 (which is based on WCAG 2.1 AA).

Frequently Asked Questions — WCAG 2.2 AA

Internal links — UK Accessibility Resources